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Showing posts from January, 2020

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A

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Two Kingdoms: 1) Koshala, ruled by Dasharatha (father of Rama). 2) Mithila, ruled by Janaka (father of Sita). - Capital of Koshala was Ayodhya (very grand, noble place) - Dasharatha (Solar Race) dwelt in palace that was well guarded - Two family priests: Vashishtha and Vamadeva - Dasharatha's three queens: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. - Dasharatha wanted to perform the Ashwamedha (horse sacrifice) so the gods would grant him an heir that would perpetuate his race (solar race). - Horse let loose on the night of a full moon during the month of Choitro. - A brahmin followed the horse, and after wandering for a year, the horse returned. - Many rajahs (rulers) attended the ceremony which took place on the bank of the Sarayu river. - Kaushalya (chief queen) slew the horse, and brahmins chanted mantras. - The other queens sat beside the horse and gave portions of the flesh to the fire. - The gods promised four sons would be born to Dasharatha. - Vishnu declared that h

Feedback Thoughts

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The first article I read of the ones that were given to us was Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt . There have been many times where I wanted to do something, but I just couldn't get myself to do it because I didn't think I would be able to do it right, or at least do it good enough. I've always held myself at a standard, and if I think that I won't be able to do something good enough, then I don't do it. The reason I enjoyed this article is because it explains that this type of self-doubt crushes your confidence, and its just a domino effect from there. The seven tips given in this article are, in my opinion, great steps in getting rid of self-doubt. I have already bookmarked it, and will be using it throughout this semester when I start to feel like I can't do something. No one is perfect, and no one expects us to be. Just do it! The second article that I chose to read was A Fixed Mindset Could Be Holding You Back . I've always found myself not liking someth

Project Topic Brainstorm

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The first topic that I would consider doing my project over would definitely be the Hindu deities. I've always found gods/goddesses an interesting topic in every context. If a were to do a project over this topic, I would look for something that involves at least a few of them. Writing about all of them seems to difficult, but I feel like writing about just one wouldn't be as interesting. A story that seems promising to me is Tales of Durga . This story seems to have many important characters, but not too many, so it would be a good model for me to go off of. I would like to learn more about how the gods relate to each other, and what their specific stories are. Then, the next topic that comes to mind to use for the project would be karma. Using karma as a topic would allow me to have a lot of action and plot twists in my story which is something I enjoy. I like when the choices a character makes in a story effect them down the road (whether it be good or bad). I like the ide

Week 2 Story: Trust the Captain

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Portfolio: Intro The moon is high in the sky and the waves are getting choppy. I can see the storm heading towards us, and there is no land in sight. The crew hasn't slept all night because we the know the ship won't survive the storm. We're sailing towards the Island of Ceylon hoping we get to land before the storm hits. Just as the storm reaches us, I can see the island through my telescope. I can see a town lit by lanterns, but no one is in sight. I can't see a single person. Even with the wind of the storm, our boat couldn't get to land fast enough. The waves were over forty feet high, and crashed on the deck with authority. The crew tried to maintain the ship, but it was impossible. As the ship tipped over, we all jumped into the ocean and started swimming towards the land. By the time we reached the beach, the storm had passed, and the sun was rising. With 500 sailors on my side, I knew we'd need to find food and water quickly. To my surprise, a large gr

Reading Notes: Goblin City

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In the city of  Ceylon, off the southern tip of Indian, was a large city full of Goblins. They were all female. Since they were all female, they would get a hold of travelers if they wanted a husband. When they would get tired of having their husbands, they would simply eat them. One day, 500 sailors crashed their ship near the coast of the city. The shape shifting Goblins, disguised as normal humans, lured the sailors to the city with food and clothes. The Goblins used their magic powers to create illusions of people throughout the city so that the sailors wouldn't be scared off. The goblins convinced the sailors to marry them by telling them their husbands had gone to sea three years prior and never returned. The irony is that we know they have been gobbled up, or in prison waiting to be. One night, the Goblins waited until their husbands were asleep and went to the prison to eat their last batch of husbands. That night, the captain just so happened to wake up while his wife was

Week Two Reading Overview

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Personally, I think the Public Domain Edition is going to be my choice for the Ramayana reading. The first thing that caught my attention about this option is the audio that is available. I love listening while reading along, it helps me understand things better, and since this topic is completely new to me, this was a huge plus. On top of that, this version is completely free and that's definitely nothing to complain about! In regards to the comic books, it took me a while to find ones that seemed interesting to me. The last category I clicked on was the Deva/Devi because I had no clue what it was, but once I released that it stood for god/goddess, I knew I would find my favorites. The first one I looked at was Ganesha: The Remover of All Obstacles . Immediately after reading the summary, I wanted to read the whole thing. The summary explained how Ganesha came to be, and it sounds like a very interesting story, so I definitely want to check that one out. The next title that caught

Time Strategies

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When it comes to using my time effectively, I can definitely get behind. A problem that I have continually ran into in the past is just starting something. Once I get going, I can get things done in a very timely manner, but just getting up and starting it has always been an issue with me. That's why The Important Habit of Just Starting  really hit home for me. An important message I got from it was that "impulsiveness is your sensitivity to delays (how easily you get distracted) and delay is how long you have to wait to receive the reward." I am a VERY impulsive person, and this was a good message for me and I plan to try and fix that about myself. Another post I "clicked" very well with was The Myth of "Too Busy" . I find that there are many instances where I tell myself that I am too busy to do something, or that i'm stressed because i'm too busy, or that I can wait to do something because i'm too busy. In all reality, everyone gets busy

My Experience With Technology

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Pretty much my whole life I've been a... geek I guess. Technology has always been an interest to me. I've done things like build computers, coding, video editing, and even blogging. I have actually blogged on WordPress and Blogger in the past so I am very familiar with how these things work. I have never made a website for myself, but I have made multiple websites for other small businesses using Wix, so I have some experience with that. When it comes to image editing, I am quite familiar with a few of the tools. I used to make YouTube videos and I would create custom thumbnails for each video, and Canva was my go to software to do so. Overall, while I have taken many (6) other online classes, this class is much different. The idea of making blogs instead of the usual quiz or homework each week seems much more fun and engaging in my opinion. The thing I am most excited for is making a website. The few I have designed were a lot of fun, and it's a skill I want to further dev

My Thoughts on the Assignments

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By far the most interesting assignment to me is the storytelling. It is completely unlike anything I've done in any other class, and i'm truly excited to compose stories of my own. It will be a nice change of pace from my normal STEM classes that get very exhausting. The only similarity this class has to any other class I have taken is that it seems writing intensive, but other than that, this is a completely new and unique experience to me. When it comes to extra credit, there are a plethora of them that caught my attention, however, the "Famous Last Words" will definitely be my favorite. I live far from most of my family, and live by myself, so being able to have a "class diary" of sorts sounds like something that would be very fun and easy to do! Overall, this class will be a sort of getaway from all the math and science that can get super boring and repetitive, and seems like it will be very fun to make these blog posts every week! The Life of a Che

My Honest Opinion of the "Growth Mindset"

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I'll start off by saying that my opinion on this idea is very mixed, and I can't confidentially say whether I support it or not. However, there are specific aspects that are interesting to me. 1) Don't Reward Correctness, Reward Process: - This idea is challenging for me because I really believe that both should be rewarded. When I was a kid, getting rewarded for a right answer, no matter how easy or hard I had to try, just made me want to be right more. I studied more, I payed more attention, and participated more because I liked being rewarded. On the other hand, I can see how something being too easy shouldn't be rewarded. If something is as easy to someone as 2 + 2, why should they be rewarded for knowing the answer? Well, what if it took them three years of research, development, and analysis to find the answer? That's why this aspect is difficult to me. 2) Easy Shouldn't Be the Comfort Zone, Challenging Should Be. - I personally agree with this. Rewa

Introduction to a Future Doctor... Hopefully

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When I decided I wanted to be a doctor, I was probably like... five. But that doesn't count right? I mean, kids say all the time what they want to be when they grow up, and its usually something crazy like an astronaut, or brave like a firefighter, or even something metanormal like a super hero. But I stuck with doctor. My mom would ask me every couple of years what my plans were, and she always got the same answer. I never even really knew why. Before I knew how hard it was, or how long it took, or even the financial stability that comes with it, that's all I wanted to be. Well, fast forward to high school, I started to realize that becoming a doctor was no easy task. I thought that since I made good grades and excelled in math and science that I would be a prime candidate. Boy was I wrong. Being the first person in my family to make it past high school, I didn't really have anybody showing me the ropes or mentoring me on my path to become a doctor. This put me behind most

My Storybook Favorites

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Storybook #1: Mermaids: An Eternal World of Waters - The idea of Mermaids has always been an interesting thought to me. The stories behind them are so interesting, and you can't help but to think if they truly exist. I have done my own fair share of reading about mermaids whether it be folklore or science fiction. The introduction to this specific story does a great job at luring you in to the mysterious. It uses great imagery to really encapsulate you and put you there in the story. The writer does a good job at using images to further illustrate their words. The layout is seems good, and keeps the attention of the reader. Overall, this story offers an interesting narrative that shows off the possibilities that surround the ideas of mermaids. Pirates of the Caribbean, Moviecarpet Source: Mermaids Storybook #2: Mount Olympus Gossip - When it comes to Greek gods and mythology, I am fairly familiar. I have a total of seven animals, and five of them are name after Greek go

Kirwin, Wyoming... My Favorite Place

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Kirwin is probably a place that most people haven't heard of. Its an old mining town that has been abandoned for years and is only accessible by authorized off-road vehicles. Its nestled at the bottom of Brown Mountain, a peak that is a part of the Rocky Mountains, and the Wood River flows right by it. Strangely enough, I found myself here searching for a treasure. Yes a treasure. Long story short, its one of the most interesting and stunning places I have ever been. Most of you probably know who Amelia Earhart is. Well, she was having a cabin built in Kirwin, because she loved the seclusion, but the construction was halted when she disappeared during flight in 1937. If you visit Kirwin, you can see the ruins of her cabin, along with a few other buildings including a post office. It truly is one of the most mesmerizing places I have ever been, and I go back every time I get a chance. P.S. I'm still searching for the treasure. Kirwin, Wyoming. A photo taken on July 4th, 1

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